Explosive-engine-starting mechanism.



I No. 813,068. 1 PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906.

H. J. WIEGAND. I

' EXPLOSIVE ENGINBSTARTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 813,068. YPATENTED FEB. 20, 1906.

H. J. WIEGAND. EXPL'OSIVE ENGINE STARTING MECHANISM.

.P I T N IL D A 4. A PL 0A I0 I E M Y2l,190 ZSHEETS SHEBT 2 UNITED sra'rns PATENT FFICE.

EXPLOSlVE-ENGINE--STARTING MECHANISM...

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Feb. 20. 1906.

Application filed May 21, 1904. Serial No. 209,018. I

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY J. WIEGAND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Explosive-Engine- Starting Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in explosive-engine-starting mechanism, and is more particularly devoted to means for automatically releasing the starting mechanism from the engine-shaft'should a reverse impulse be given to the shaft by a premature explosion in the cylinder.

This invention is particularly applicable for use in connection with explosive hydrocarbon engines used as motors for automobiles and launches, where the danger to the operator by the premature explosion in the engine is great by reason of the person having hold of the starting mechanism and not being able to get out of its way in time. This premature explosion in the engine has been the cause of many accidents, owing t'othe starting-crank handle being locked to the engine-shaft, so as to rotate therewith.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying in which Figure 1 represents in front elevation so much of a starting mechanism and its adjacent parts as will give a clear understanding of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a partial vertical central section taken in the plane of the line A A of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken in the plane of the line B B of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows, the parts being in their normal position. Fig. 5 is a similar view with the parts in the position which they assume when the starting mechanism has been thrown out of operation by a reverse move-- ment of the shaft due to a premature explosion in the engine-cylinder, and Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken in the plane of the line C C of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The shaft of an explosive hydrocarbon engine is herein denoted by 1, and one of its supports is denoted by 2. This shaft has fixed thereto near its end exterior to the support 2 a clutch member 3, which is arranged to be interlocked with a clutch member 4, having a free sliding movement on the shaft. The starting crank is denoted by 5, its

drawings,

ber. The flange 8 of the clutch member is provided with an inwardly-projected stud 10.-

rovided with a catch 11.,

The crank 5 is hinged at 12 on t e crank 5'. This catch 11 is normally held in enga ement with the stud 10 by a cam-lever 13, inged at 14 to the crank. 1

The engagement between the cam-lever 13 and the catch 11 is as follows: The catch is provided with branches 15 16, forming between them a recess 17, arranged to receive an arm 18, depending from the cam-lever 13. The cam-lever 13 is provided with two faces 19 20, arranged to be engaged by a spring-actuated lock 21 for holding the cam-lever in the one or the other of its two positions.

When the spring-actuated lock 21 is engaged withthe cam-face 19, the arm 18 will be located within the recess 17 of the catch, thus permitting the catch to engage the stud 1.0 of the movable clutch member 4. When the spring actuated lock 2 1 is in engagement with the cam-face 20 of the lever 13, the arm 18 of the lever Will be swung outwardly into engagement with the branch 16 of the catch,

thusdepressing said branch and lifting thehook of the catch out of engagement with the stud .10 of the movable clutch member.

The spring-actuated lock hereinbefore referred to comprises a plate having depending lugs 22 inserted in sockets 23 in the crank 5 at its hub, within which sockets and around the lugs I provide springs 24, tending to yieldin 1y hold the plate against the one or the ot er of the cam faces 19 and 20 of the cam lever 13.

The means which I have shown for accomplishing the swinging movement of the camver 13 to release the catch is as follows: A spring-actuated pawl 25 is hinged at 14 to the lever 13, which pawl is yieldingly held by a spring 26 against a shoulder 27 on the depending arm 18, formed by cutting away a portion of thesaid depending arm. A.

ratchet wh eel 28 is secure to the support 2 concentric with the engine-shaft 1, with its teeth projected in a direction permitting the pawl 25 to trail over the teeth when the crank is turned in a direction to rotate the shaft to The s ring 26 is shown as start the engine.

being coiled about a stu 29 on the cam-lever the depending arm 18 and t 13, one end of the said spring ressing against lie other end of the spring pressing against the free face of the awl 25.

T e operation of the device is as follows:

The crank, with its movable clutch member and other arts, is inserted into position on the end the engine-shaft. The crank is then swung in the required direction to impart a rotary movement to the engine-shaft in its proper direction to start the engine. The pawl will run freely over the stationary ratchet-wheel, and the movable clutch I member will be brougiitainto iirliterlocliing e clutc mem er.

. enga ing the starting device from the shaft.

Shou d a premature explosion occur in the engine-cylmder, causing a reverse movement ofthe en inc-shaft, the engine-shaft will start the cranl: in the reverse direction. As it does so the pawl 25, because of its engagement with one of the teeth of'the st'ationary ratchet, will be swung over into the position shown'in Fig. 5, and thereby swing the depending arm 18 of; the cam-lever out of the recess 17' in the catch and along the branch 16 thereof, swinging the hook of the catch out of 'its engagement with the stud 10, thus 81 aces releasin r the crank from its engagement with the sha t and permitting the shaft to continue its reverse motion without carrying the crank therewith. The reverse motion of the ing-crank whic is carried at all times on the shaft.

It is evident that chan es may be resorted to in the construction, form, and arrangement of the several parts without departing fromithe spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself. to the exact structure herein set forth but What I claim is- I v The combination with an explosive-engine shaft, a starting-crank'therefor, a Jcatch for locking the crank-to the shaft, arcam-lever for controllingthe catch, a pawl for controlling the movement of the lever and astationary part arranged to move the pawl to disengage-the catch when theshaft is moved in a reverse direction.

In testimony that I claim'the-Toregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in resence of two witnesses, this 18th day of ay, 1904. 1 HENRY J WIEGAND.

Witnesses:

JoHN Haas,

A. S. HQPKINS. 

